because we've all felt love
by controlled climb
Summary: Because when it comes down to it, no one knows what love is, not really. * Written for the "Because of Love" Challenge.
1. Padma Patil

Written for the Because of Love Challenge with credit to XxrandomxX for the quote.

Also, many thanks to lollymau for help on this - I love you ~ !

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**Padma Patil**

_Because, for someone who spends half her time reading romance novels, she really doesn't know much about love._

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It's a funny thing, love. In so many ways, Padma knows more about love than she would care to admit. She knows about the heartbreak, and she knows exactly to describe falling for that special someone. Somehow she manages to know so much, without really knowing anything at all.

Because she doesn't really know it, she's only read it. Oh, and because she's always gotten that blow-by-blow account from her sister. She doesn't really believe it though. She's forgotten how many times Parvati has come up to her, dancing in the rain and singing about love, only to come back a few days later with mascara running down both her cheeks and yelling choice words of hatred.

So what's the difference? How can someone go from claiming to love someone, and the next minute they can't even think about them without wanting to break something?

It always works out perfectly, in her romance novels. The girl and the boy always get their happily ever after. How come that never happens in real life? How come she's seen her sister's heart break so many times? How come she's _never_ had that amazing feeling people call love?

Oh sure, she's fancied people, there's no doubt about that. She's never felt that feeling in her gut when a certain someone is brought up in conversation, or when she spots someone across the room. She's never felt her heart stop at the mere thought of someone.

In short, Padma's never really been in love. All right, she's toyed with the idea – she _loves_ the idea of it, but she'd never act on it. Because she doesn't really want to fall in love, come to think of it. She doesn't want to have her heart broken, because despite what people say, she's really not that strong.

There's a small part of her that's wants to love, though. She's sick of not knowing, and she wants to be like every other one of her friends. When Parvati talks about how great her life is, Padma wants to be able to join in, she really does. And even though she has no clue what it really is, she _really_ wants to fall in love.


	2. Dominique Weasley

Written for the Because Of Love Challenge.

This one, I came up with myself. A note: I will be repeating characters, and may repeat some of the "quotes" too.

Mew and Mor take credit for the pairings. And to Amy for the idea.

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**Dominique Weasley**

_Because she can't help but want to hex her sister every time she touches him._

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The relationship between Victoire and Neville wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. Perhaps in the holidays it wasn't so bad. But Dominique had lost count of the amount of times she'd walked into in seemingly empty classroom and had been required to put her hands over her eyes, cringing at the sight of her sister and the professor _together_.

She wondered what her father would think. After all, the age difference was rather large, wasn't it? She wondered whether her darling older sister realized how much trouble she'd be in if the lovely Hannah Longbottom found out. For several months, Dominique toyed with idea of telling her. It would fun, wouldn't? Having such power of your older sister.

The power wasn't all Dominique wanted though. Mainly, she just wanted the couple to… well, not be a couple. She'd come up with every excuse in the book to try to convince Victoire that she ought to end it.

The sight of _her_ running her hands over his… The memory affected Dominique more than she would have liked to admit. She didn't like the fact that all her nightmares were about _her_ and _him_ together _like that_. She hated the fact that when she was finally torn away from such nightmares, that tears were streaming down her cheeks. She despised the fact that her sister had one-upped her, yet again – and without even realizing it too.

It was when she had to literally not only shut her eyes, but also clench her fist, did she realize that everything was wrong. She wasn't closing her eyes because she didn't want to see them starkers. She was closing her eyes because she didn't want to see them together. And she was clenching her fist because, for the first time in her life, she wanted to hex her sister.


	3. Ronald Weasley

Written for the Because of Love Challenge with credit to XxrandomxX for the quote.

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**Ronald Weasley**

_Because if he can't just get straight to the point and tell someone that he loves them, then he probably doesn't._

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She'd been hinting at it for ages. Several times he'd considered getting it over and done with - just telling her. Eight letters, three words. It couldn't be that hard, could it? Yet every time Lavender ran her hands over his shoulder and murmured those _eightlettersthreewords _into his ear, he froze up. He couldn't do it. He'd tried, he really had. But every time he had it came out us a blubbering mess, and she'd cock her head to the side, a look of confusion and distaste in her eyes.

He did love her though, despite what others said. And it was nice to be loved back for once. Lavender was good for him. He enjoyed spending time with her. She could be funny at times, and she definitely wasn't hard on the eyes. Besides, she fancied him (even said she loved him) and shouldn't that be enough?

So he tried. He tried to tell her he _youknowwhat_ back. Never once did it cross his mind that he couldn't tell her because it was a lie.


	4. Lavender Brown

Written for the Because of Love Challenge with credit to XxrandomxX for the quote.

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**Lavender Brown**

_Because when people tell you that you make their world go round often enough, eventually you start to believe them._

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Sometimes she'd questioned their relationship. Everyone told her that he fancied Granger. Really, though? Hermione Granger over herself, Lavender Brown? It didn't make sense to her. Besides, it didn't matter, because he was hers now. And there was nothing Granger could do about it.

Not that he ever spared her a second glance, though. Lavender made sure of that. He'd told her often enough that she was more than enough for him, so why should she let Granger bother him? There were plenty of other things he could do than talk to _her_ to occupy his time. And anyway, by the sounds of it, he didn't really want to talk to Granger. They were always fighting. So really, she was just looking out for him. She wouldn't want her dear Won-Won upset, would she?

He loved her though. He hadn't told her yet, but he'd told her plenty of other sweet nothings. And that was enough for her. Because he told her it was true, so why shouldn't she believe him?


	5. Hannah Abbott

Written for the Because of Love Challenge with credit to You're Amyzing for the quote.

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**Hannah Abbott**

_Because if you truly loved someone, you'd want them to be happy._

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The badges weren't something she was proud of. Even though almost everyone in the school was wearing one and she was _finally_ beginning to fit in with her peers, she wasn't proud of it. What's more, she didn't understand why a small badge, of all things, had defined her within the school more definitely than anything else ever had.

When she'd first starting wearing that damned phrase on her vest, she'd noticed all that the small people in her life had stopped saying "Hello!" and would instead look at the _Potter Stinks!_ on her chest and with disgruntled sigh, they'd turn away and ignore her as if she hadn't just greeted them with an award-winning smile.

"I'm taking it off," she said quietly to Ernie as she watched Harry push past them. She hadn't missed the sadness behind the anger in the Gryffindor's eyes and for some reason, she felt a great deal of sympathy for the boy she'd barely talked to.

Ernie looked at her with a bored expression. "Don't be stupid, Hannah. He cheated, he deserves this–"

"He does _not_ deserve this ridicule. He's a bloody laughing stock, Ernie!" Hannah exclaimed, trying to keep her voice level and even – trying to keep her cool. "You can't honestly say he deserves this! What'd he ever to do you?"

Instead of – Merlin forbid – _reaching_ out to her classmate, as she'd intended to, Ernie simply laughed at her. He spat, rubbed the sole of his shoe against the ground and laughed at her.

"_Ernie_." The hurt in her voice was evident, but he seemed oblivious to it. "You don't really like these badges, do you?"

_Please say no, please say no, please say no…_

"Of course I like them."

_Oh, Ernie..._

"Makes me bloody thrilled to see people wearing them." Ernie looked down at her with a grin. Leaning in and kissing her on the cheek, he tapped her badge. "I'm glad to see _you _wearing it."

She fingered the badge for a moment, Harry's face still haunting her mind. But Ernie, with his tempting little smile and pleading (e_xpecting_) eyes, she couldn't bring herself to tear the stupid, stupid badge from her clothing as she longed to do so.

_It makes him happy, so it can't be that bad, right...?_


	6. Roxanne Weasley

Written for the Because of Love Challenge with credit to You're Amyzing for the quote.

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**Roxanne Weasley**

_Because when you've never been in love, it's sometimes hard to believe in it._

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Roxanne found it easy to scoff at her cousins. They were all the same, acting in silly soap operas, switching partners and beds within the blink of an eye with little thought of the consequences. And of course, their excuses were always the same.

"I love him," the girls would coo.

"I love her," the boys would hoot.

It never mattered if someone was found with Lysander one week and Lorcan the next. The word "love" would forgive all sins and no one would be questioned.

For the Weasley and Potter clan, this all changed when Fred—Fred who'd never raised his wand at anyone in his life—sent James flying across the room upon finding him with a very pretty and very naked Allison Longbottom.

At first, no one could understand why Fred was so angry and they went into a flutter, cursing his name and kneeling by James' side until he'd managed to pull himself back up.

"I love her," Fred had said. "I _really_ love her."

The words were the same, but the meaning was different. And one by one, the cousins found themselves falling in this awful thing called love and they stopped scratching notches into their bedposts. Instead, they got on one knee and placed slipped rings on their fingers.

It was still silly, in Roxanne's eyes. She'd never bothered with tumbles in sheets and she sure as hell hadn't bothered to exchange any vows. It was all so trivial. And so when Lorcan came along, happy as can be, and asked her out for a bite to eat, she was flushed and surprised, but she said yes, all the same.

"We're just friends," she said first.

"It's nothing serious," she said second.

"He's got a good screw," she said third.

Fourthly and finally, she said, "It's not as if love exists, anyway."

"And why would you say that?" Fred asked, bouncing his second child on his lap. "Why on earth would you think love doesn't exist? Don't you think I love Allison?"

"Well, of course I do," Roxanne replied, flustered. "But back then, when we were kids, everyone was in love with everyone. Love was always just a fumble in the sheets and—"

"What difference does that make?" her brother asked. "You never partook in that rubbish anyway. To everyone else, that was love. Love in its loosest meaning, mind you, but love all the same."

"And what difference does _that_ make?"

He didn't say anything for a long time, simply rocking his child back and forth as he thought in silence. And then, after several moments he told her, "It's because this time it's you, Roxanne. We fell in _love_ over and over. With you, it's different. That's not important though. You're in love. And he loves you back."

"But I can't be in—"

"But you are."

"In love..."

Months later and dressed in white, Roxanne still doesn't know whether love exists. But everyone else says it exists and she's never felt quite like this before, so what else could it be?

What else, if not love?


	7. Remus Lupin

Written for the Because of Love Challenge.  
And for **yamiyugi23 **for Secret Santa on the HPFC. Merry Christmas. (:

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**Remus Lupin_  
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_Because he's never allowed himself to feel anything before; it's too dangerous and he's got everything to lose._

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Over the years, Remus had found that he had very little control over his emotions, thoughts and actions. When he'd been a schoolboy, it was easy. There'd always been someone nearby to keep his lid on—to make sure he kept his humanity.

But Lily and James died. Peter was dead. And Sirius? He was escaping Azkaban after doing fuck all for his precious Dark Lord, wasn't he?

There was no one left to restrain him. And he snapped.

He let go of that schoolboy personality that had kept him sane for so long and indulged. Alcohol. Sex. Drugs. Anything that made him feel blank and empty was good. It wasn't like he could keep up a decent job. And besides, what else did he have to live for?

Everyone was gone.

And then Dumbledore, stupid, controlling, Dumbledore had shown up, swishing his robes and offering him a home and money and food...and humanity. And in return all he had to do was stand in a stuffy classroom and say stuff.

Could it get any better?

And so he was sleeping on the train. But the dementors and the chocolate and the kids...and after leaving the compartment all he could do was gasp and splutter, James' name on his lips.

After that, he began to watch Harry.

To start with all he could say was, "Just like James."

Then he began to look a little longer and said, "Hermione Granger makes him think. No one could make James think."

Then he took a step back, looked at the big picture and said, "Ron Weasley keeps him grounded, doesn't he? Harry's not as egotistical as James was."

It was dangerous, the way Remus was acting, and he knew it. Remus knew when he was beginning to think a bit too much and look a bit too long. So he summoned all the self-control he'd once possessed, taught Harry what he needed to know and tried his hardest to distance himself from the boy.

He was thinking too much.

Thinking was bad.

Emotion was bad.

All Remus needed to do was forget. That's all he wanted to do. But forgetting wasn't an option.

So he thought a little more.

The emotion would come one day, he figured.


End file.
